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This book1 supplements—or, rather, complements—the author's earlier publication,2 in which she reported the history and methods of her treatment of a case of schizophrenia in a young girl. Acquaintance with the first book will, therefore, contribute greatly to the reader's appreciation of the second.
The first and major part of the present volume consists of an 'auto-observation' by the patient, describing the beginnings of her symptoms, their development, her relationship to the therapist, and the success of the cure, as seen through the eyes of the patient. In the second part of the book, Mme. Sechehaye attempts a theoretical evaluation and interpretation of the case history.
The first part represents a unique document of exceptional value to every psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. The patient's descriptions of her symptoms, her anxiety, her depersonalization, and of her struggle against her delusions and hallucinations make fascinating reading. The same is true of her account of the transference during the treatment, the reasons for her relapses, the gradual achievement of therapeutic success, and her emergence from her delusions into reality.
The author's interpretation of the patient's psychosis is extremely interesting and provocative. To the psychoanalytic concepts which she uses, she adds ideas and concepts derived from the research of Jean Piaget. However, this reviewer believes that a complete understanding of the astounding wealth of material in this extraordinary case history still eludes us at the present stage of our knowledge.
The value of Mme. Sechehaye's work cannot be overemphasized. She devised a highly successful method of treatment (described more fully in Symbolic Realization) for her schizophrenic patient. It would be of great importance to apply this new method in other,